Planetary Science Institute

PSI's Kirby Runyon was featured on the HELLO FUTURE podcast! Catch it here: https://buff.ly/IqWsx8b

In this episode host Kevin Cirilli sits down with his space coach, Kirby Runyon, research scientist at the Planetary Science Institute (PSI) and contributor to The Planetary Society, who is one of NASA’s leading experts mapping the Moon. Kirby breaks down the Moon’s incredible geological diversity, from massive impact basins and ancient lava plains to future landing sites for crewed missions. He explains why humans should be racing back to the Moon and playfully tackles the big question: Should we reclassify it as a planet? Packed with NASA-backed insights, this episode shows why the Moon isn’t just a destination — it’s the key to our future as a spacefaring species.

HELLO FUTURE: Is the Moon a Planet? Mapping Lunar Geography with Space Coach Kirby Runyon In this episode of HELLO FUTURE, host Kevin Cirilli sits down with his space coach, Kirby Runyon — research scientist at the Planetary Science Institute (PSI) and contributor to The Planetary Society — who is one of NASA’s leading experts mapping the Moon. Kirby breaks down the Moon’s incred...

We never know where PSI scientists will be next. For David Grinspoon, the answer was London for SWSX where he talked with Dune's production designer building worlds at the junction of science and fiction. Learn more in this The Hollywood Reporter article.

‘Dune’ Oscar Winner Talks Pushing Back on AI and the One Mode of Time Travel He Knows At SXSW London, Canadian production designer Patrice Vermette took the audience inside his process, talking about “method designing" and "scientific jam sessions."

: The many textures of Jupiter. Swipe through. This never gets old!

These images were processed by citizen scientists. Interested in processing your own JunoCam images? Visit: https://buff.ly/iFVvCkA

📸: NASA / SwRI / MSSS / Navaneeth Krishnan / Emma Wälimäki / Björn Jónsson / Tracy Prell

“I will specifically contribute by analyzing potential landing sites, assessing geologic context and contributing to analyses of lunar regolith structure,” she said. “It’s hard to express just how excited I am to join the science team for the first landed Artemis mission. It has been a goal of mine to participate in human exploration of the Moon since graduate school, when I got to meet and work with several Apollo astronauts. Artemis has been billed as my generation’s Apollo moment, and the opportunity to participate in the first human return to the lunar surface in over 50 years feels like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I am thrilled and honored to be able to lend expertise to the team, in particular to landing site analysis and studies of highlands regolith structure.”

Jawin’s research focuses on how the surfaces of rocky planets, asteroids and moons in our Solar System evolve, specifically focusing on several themes including resurfacing on rubble pile asteroids, Martian polar surface variability, and explosive volcanism on the Moon and Mercury.

Her research integrates geomorphology and geologic mapping with complementary datasets such as those from radar measurements. She is a science team member on two active NASA missions: the OSIRIS-APEX mission to asteroid Apophis, which will rendezvous in April 2029, as well as the SHAllow RADar (SHARAD) instrument onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The U.S. team lead of the SHARAD instrument is PSI’s Senior Scientist Than Putzig.

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